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The Icarus class starship was at one time the backbone of the Terran fleet, built in response to fears that the Ryl'Atti in the nearby Beta Centauri system intended to invade Earth. The Icarus class was the first full sized Terran starship to have a hyperspace engine installed. The technology of the time required that the antimatter reactor and hyperdrive system be installed in the detachable pod beneath the main hull on the weapon sail. The last Icarus class ship in active military service, the U.A.S. Hood BCSS-9, was decommissioned in 2201. In 2202, the construction plans of the Icarus were declassified by the Alliance government and sold to several starship construction firms. The Icarus is now seen plying the spacelanes as a light freighter over a century after the first ship saw service. It has also gained notoriety as a civilian battle cruiser. Since they are much cheaper and easier to outfit than most other battle capable ships, they have become the mainstay of many of the pirate factions inhabiting the spacelanes.